Figuring it Out
by MartyAnn2004
Summary: Love is a tricky business, even for the Goddess of Love. See how her and Hephaestus grow and prospers through their journey together, and become better God's and Goddess's. (One Shot)


**Hey you guys, this is another one shot on Aphrodite's and Hephaestus, and it's based after a guest's request, so here is you answer to the request! So I hope you people enjoy another cute one shot of them!**

**-Marty**

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><p>I thought ignoring him would be easy, like ignoring the words to a truthful poem, a poem that you know is being told of you, but you just throw it away, so you don't have to think of the right or wrong. But who knew you couldn't just throw the poem into a fire and think all the words and marks would disappear, once the words are down in black ink, there forever written.<p>

My problems started with our marriage, I had always been free, never bound or tied to anything, especially holy words. But even with the binding, I still broke free, unknowing that it would break him, for he loved me, somehow despite my faults. But these moments only brought guilty, it wasn't till I had my husband's, brother's, son Eros did I feel truly guilty.

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><p>"Eros," I called from my lover Ares temple. Today was my son's first lesson on shooting his love arrow, even though he was young, it couldn't help but get him started off early.<p>

"Who are you calling for," a husky voice asked from behind me. I gracefully turned around to find Ares in an unkept state; his hair was unbrushed, his toga hanging terribly on him, and finally his yellowed teeth, that were reeking of alcohol.

"Well our son Eros," I replied in annoyance. I told him I would come by today twenty times for the last two weeks, _how could he forget so easily? _

"Oh, Eros isn't here," he said frankly.

"Why?"

Ares began rubbing his behind his neck, and he gave me an apologetic face. "What did you do," I spat bitterly.

"Well I was trying to show Eros war strategies and give him combat practice, but… He kept on complaining about wanting to make something or go for a walk in the fresh air. It's just I try to bond with him and he makes it so difficult so I…"

My hands clenched together and my teeth set straight, I tried my hardest to control my bubbling temper. "So you did what?!"

"I yelled at him, and called him a pathetic woos, and then I threw a vase at his arm," he mumbled. My eyes began to water, and I burned with rage, h_ow dare he hurt my son like that._

"You bitter monster, how dare you do that to my son," I scream.

His head snapped up and fire burned through his eyes, "He's our son!"

"No, he is mine, you ever go near him again, and I swear you will regret it." I turned away from Ares and called over my shoulder, "If he forgives and wants to see you then fine, but for now, leave my son alone."

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><p>I head back to my temple to grab some stuff before looking for my son, but when I get there, I hear my husband Hephaestus gently speaking with someone.<p>

"One more wrap around should do the work," he commented. I turned the corner that lead to the garden, and saw husband with white gnaws, that he was wrapped carefully around Eros.

"There we go," he finished wrapping my sons arm up and chirped, "give it a week and your arm with be good as new."

Eros cubby baby face was lite up and he wrapped his twig like arms around Hephaestus sturdy structure. The next words Eros said were very faint, but clear of enough to understand, "Thank you Dad, you're the best." Hephaestus face had a hint of shock mixed into it, and mine tripled the shock of his.

I watched closely as Eros realized his mistake, and he quickly pulled his head away from my husband's cheat and began to stutter, "I'm sorry, I meant…"

Before Eros could even finish, Hephaestus interjected, "its ok Eros, I love as if you were my own son." My son's already wet, golden eyes began to water again with tears of love and acceptance.

At the sight of them; as father and son, it even made me break down into silent tears. I felt glad and guilty; I wanted Eros to have a father he loved, but I felt guilty that the father he chose was the one I cheated on every single day.

It wasn't till I felt a hot breath on my bare neck did I realize someone was there. I glance up to find my husband holding my little eight year old boy in his sturdy arms. They both had concern written on their faces, and I tried my best to hold back the tears that still wanted to pour out. "Are you ok mom?"

"Of course, it's just one of those moments where I'm being silly," I cooed. I reached out for my son and Hephaestus carefully handed him over without question. "So are you ready for your arrow lessons?"

Eros glanced back at Hephaestus and when he turned back around he had his lower lip sticking out and his eyes big to make him appear as a puppy dog. "Can I please do it tomorrow? Dad said I could help him make a sword in his workshop. Please can I do that instead," he pleads. I glanced at my husband to see his eyes shine bright at his new title as a father.

"Fine, but tomorrow were going to have your bow and arrow lessons, got it," I stated.

"Got it," he purred. He wriggled out of my arms and pulled Hephaestus with him, towards his workshop. "Thanks mom!"

A light smile pranced across my face, and watched them hand in hand, as any father and son would. After they disappear behind a marble column, I turn on the balls of my feet, and head for our guest room, so I can make Eros a room of his own.

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><p>A few weeks passed since my son Eros moved in with my husband and me. I love him staying with us, being able to kiss my son goodnight and keep him safe, it's every mothers dream to keep their child safe and have them grow up to become something incredible. Of course with everything, there's always some type of price to pay, my price was that I couldn't disappear as much as I use to, especially after the first week of my sons staying.<p>

I ran my soft delicate hands through my lightly blonde hair. I watched in the mirror as my curls fell down my back and bounced in a perfect form. Tonight was just like any other night; I was heading out to a party, where I hoped to get drunk and dirty for a few hours. I could already feel the poison run down my throat, and feel the grabby hands of men trying to spend the night with me, the Goddess of love.

Right as I put just a few more touched on my flawless skin; I heard the usual faint knock at the door. "Hephaestus," I called.

The door squeaked open and in came my giant of a husband. "Are you going out tonight," he asked carelessly.

"Yes," I answered from my golden vanity. I turned my head to my husband and rested my chin on the top of my hand crafted chair. "You do realize that this is your room and that you don't need to knock every single time you need to come in?"

"I just want to give you respect and privacy," he commented.

A light-heated laugh escaped my mouth, and I slowly got up and strode towards my husband. "Hephaestus I am the Goddess of love after all, do you really think I care when others see me naked." I pulled of the shoulders to my toga and let the fabric all to my stomach, showing off my perky full breast. He lifted his gaze and tried to keep his eyes off my chest. "You know you can look." His eyes hovered at my neck and finally he took a swift glance at them.

"Their very nice," he replied uncomfortably. Hephaestus and I had only had sex on our wedding night, and that was a quickie, in and out. But it wasn't until now that I realized how much I liked a man more when he was squirming.

"You know Hephaestus, I can go tomorrow night if you want," I purred at him while sliding my hands down the inside of his pants.

I felt the sweat drip onto my hands making me even more excited. But in one quick motion he pulled away from me, leaving me in shock. "I'm sorry I can't Aphrodite," he muttered.

My body froze there for a few moments, then when some of the shock vanished I began pulling up my toga and fixing my damp hair. _How dare he reject me, I'm his wife._

I turned away from him hoping he would leave to let me cry in humiliation alone. "Aphrodite, I'm sorry it's just…" His words were cut off when Eros came flying into the room crying.

Both my husband and I pouched to my son to comfort him. "What's' wrong," we ask simultaneously.

Through a load of sobs Eros cried out, "I had a nightmare where everyone was mad at me for having Hades steal the goddess of the harvest's daughter. Demeter doesn't even have a daughter, but everyone said it was my fault that the earth went cold since I shot Hades in the heart making him fall for some Demeter's daughter. There were just all so mean!"

Both Hephaestus and I eyes connect, since Demeter did just have a daughter named Persephone, but this was just a dream after all so it probably isn't ever going to be real. "Also she snapped at me for calling her name stupid, I mean what person names their kid Persephone," he whined.

_Oh Fates you are cruel. _Both my husband and I gave the face like just go along with it. "Honey it was just a dream, I mean you would never do something like that, and besides Demeter doesn't have a daughter silly," I softly replied. _Oh Demeter's going to skin him alive. _

"It was just a dream my son."

Eros golden eyes looked up at Hephaestus and he asked, "You promise."

Hephaestus gave him a smile and ran his worn fingers through his curly straw berry blonde hair. "I promise, and if you want to you can spend the night in my room just in case you have another nightmare, sound good?"

"Yeah, I like the sound of that, are you going to stay with us mom," he asked with hope shinning in his eyes.

"Yeah, of course, just let me get ready. While I'm getting ready you two can go and pick out a story to read."

"Awesome," my son piped.

As my son raced out Hephaestus called out to him, "I'll be there in a minute." After he closed the door, he turned and faced me. "Aphrodite I'm…"

"It's ok, really I'm fine," I replied while trying to hold back my tears of humiliation. I glanced at the ground hoping again that he would disappear, but he did something that caught even me off guard. He came over and pulled my chin up so I could face him square in the eyes. His dark brown eyes were guarded but his emotions showed when he brought my lips to his.

We stayed like that for a good minute till he pulled away. "Hephaestus," he nodded his head at the call of his name, "let me have you." With that he pressed my face harder into his making me lose my breath.

We kissed with passion and during our kiss we began removing each others clothes till we were down to nothing. He picked me up and brought me to the bed where he accidentally threw me too hard on cause of excitement, but I didn't care. He got on top of me and began entering me with quick painless thrusts.

I was drowning in his touch and caressing that made my head spin like a top. It felt so good; it even felt better than his brother Ares. He was stronger and more lost it the matter, which made even me lost, making me loves this even more with him. _Who knew Hephaestus had this in him._

Out loving making broke when we heard Eros voice call from the other side of the door, "Are you guys ready yet?"

We both threw ourselves off the bed and to where our clothes lay, we quickly threw them on ourselves and we both called out, "Were ready!"

Eros bounced in and he asked, "What took you guys so long, you were in here for five minutes."

I quickly answered with, "Fixing up my hair and Hephaestus was shaving."

He looked us up and down and frankly said, "You guys didn't do a very good job at it." Lucky he only asked that, making our five minutes an easy secret to keep.

After that night, I never left in the middle of the night for a party; I always stayed in bed waiting Hephaestus to come in, so we could have a little fun for ourselves. I still cheated on him, but not as much as I use to. But when I did it was usually with Hermes or Apollo, use to be Ares but when he hurt my son I ended all ties with him.

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><p>It was three months later since Eros has his nightmare, and in those three months I had gained some weight. I tried my hardest to slide my tight tunic over my stomach, but I just ended up ripping it from the effort. I let out a wine of frustration and cried out, "Seriously, this was my favorite tunic! Stupid weight gain!"<p>

"What's wrong," a voice behind me asked.

I turn to see my husband giving me a worried look, while he held a new piece of oak wood for another dresser, that he was creating for me. "I gained some weight and now I can't fit into my favorite tunic, actually scratch that, I can't ever wear my favorite tunic again since I ripped it."

He examined me up and down and then replied with, "You don't look like you have gained weight, except for maybe a little bit in your chest and stomach area."

I let out a gasp of horror, "Are you saying I'm fat?!"

He shook his head frantically and inserted, "No, No! It's just you look kind of…"

"Kind of what?!"

"Umm, what's the word I'm looking for… you have an egg in the nest."

My mouth gaped open and my eyes went bug-eyed. "Excuse me?"

He twisted his fingers and mumbled, "Your um… it looks like you pregnant. With someone's child."

I pull and mess with my stomach skin, and try to remember what being pregnant felt like the last time. "No that can't be, I don't feel nauseous and I always have protected sex. There was only one time when I didn't and that was…" I stop dead in my sentence and remember that night three months ago, where I had forgotten to have him or I, put any protection. "I know who the father is."

His face twisted in pain at the thought of what the answer might be, "Who?"

My tongue began to swell and sweat began to form on my silky skin, from unknown nervousness. _Why is this so hard? Telling Ares was easy, why isn't this as simple?_ "You," I state.

There was pause, and I observed his body's tenseness at my answer. "I understand if you have an abortion, you know, so you don't have a deformed child and all," he stammered while twisting his thumb.

For some reason at that moment the truth finally hit me; Hephaestus was barley to never loved, he was the freak, the monster, the deformation, the joke of our society. Only his best friend Apollo cared and watched over him. But when I was forced to marry him, all I did was complain and cheat on him because he wasn't good-looking or powerful; I am the Goddess of Love and I failed my title, and I felt bitterly ashamed. Apollo, Eros, and now me; we all love him. But I still go out now and again to fool around, even though I love him, and break his heart, and with that it just shows him that if I love him and still cheat on him, then why would I treat our child any better.

As tears began to race down my face, I tried my hardest to say this in my clearest voice, "Hephaestus, I love you and I'm so sorry. I've been so heartless and self-centered, I never meant to hurt you, and I'm sorry I did. I know I can't fix the past but I can at least help the future, I swear I'll never cheat on you again, and I'll never hurt our child whether it is deformed or has any type of flaws."

The silence stayed for about a minute then he finally replied, "Say it again."

"I love you Hephaestus, and I will love our baby just like a I love Eros."

He finally made eye contact with me and when we did, I thought my heart was going to melt. He glided over to where I stood and wrapped his strong arms me, and kissed me deeply. When we finally broke, he purred softly in my ear, "I love you, Goddess of Love, I always have and I always will."

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><p>After that day I forever kept my word. I never cheated on him again, and I loved our gorgeous daughter Lila from the moment she kicked her little feet in my stomach. The best part of my birth to Lila was that it made us a family, also Eros loved her to death, that perfect little flawless girl with dark brown hair, and deep blue eyes won us all over, and won what's now our small family over.<p>

I realized love is tricky, first you're blinded, and you needed others to show you and guide you, but when you get past the confusion, love can be a marvelous ride.

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><p><strong>I hope everyone enjoyed it, I might go back and add more to the ending, but I'm not sure. Since I finished it late at night, so I feel like it needs a tad more, but keep on reading and my next chapter for Crossing Paths should come out soon!<strong>

**-Marty**


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